original article PsychotheraPie Forum 4/ 2010 Psychotherapie Forum (2010) 18: 191–200 DOI 10.1007/s00729-010-0341-y © Springer-Verlag 2010 Printed in Austria 191 introduction For decades, aid to developing coun- tries has been considered an authori- tarian instrument. Experts from devel- oped countries imparted their “know- how” as an export good to countries in need – almost always with passive in- volvement of the local population. Gov- ernments and local communities were confronted with techniques and prac- tices that had been developed far re- moved from the targeted community’s experiences. Lectures, rules, and regu- lations were (and unfortunately still are) the predominant methods of com- municating these foreign techniques. Numerous failed projects, however, have begun to put the effectiveness of the traditional form of direct aid in doubt (Ellerman 2006, Lewis et al. 2008, Riddell 2007). It is no coincidence that, the forthcoming Human Development Re- Ulrich Kropiunigg, Elaine Hargrove, Saleh Idris Muhammed, Edit Schlaffer a path to self-help: exploring domestic violence in Zanzibar through teamshaping port 2010 announces a new development agenda to “ensure that people are the centre of development” (United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 2009:1). From the vast literature that ad- dresses the same predicament, three options emerge: (a) self-help and aid in creating self-help programmes (Eller- man 2006, Myers 2002), (b) fictional works as a source of new development knowledge (Bradshaw et al. 1995, Lewis et al. 2008), and (c) local team building (Anyaegbunam et al. 2004, Kropiunigg 2002, Kropiunigg et al. 2002), as is in- troduced in this paper. Backgr ound Zanzibar, the semi-autonomous island off the coast of Tanzania, is rapidly en- tering the international arena through increasing tourism and interaction with the globalised world. At the same time, however, Zanzibar faces a “lack of social and civic peace” (Cameron 2002, Killian 2008: 100, Loimeier 2006), as well as problems common to most of Sub-Saharan Africa: poor healthcare and a high prevalence of HIV infection (Zanzibar Aids Commission [ZAC] 2008), poverty and child labour (Re- search and Analysing Working Group United Republic of Tanzania 2007, Yusuf 14 June 2009), domestic violence and the unequal treatment of women (Hanak 1996, Yusuf 14 May 2009). These factors are converging to create a situ- ation in critical need of improvement and change. Zanzibar has a huge talent pool of university-educated youth whose po- tential is not being realized. We believe that true progress in Zanzibar’s society will not result from sporadic interven- tions by international NGOs, but will come from within. These talented stu- abstract This article analyses group work with students from two universities in Stone Town, Zanzibar. The students were invited to participate in Teamshaping, a seminar that aims to create effective teams by adhering to the principles of self-help and autonomy. Whereas the students initially showed limited understanding of team work concepts – largely due to a lack of previous exposure to such methods – they soon acknowledged its benefits. In the course of the seminar, the students ultimately chose to discuss the issue of domestic violence. For four consecutive days they explored the pos- sible links between violence, education, poverty, and family. The seminar concluded in a 15-page report that presented the students’ findings and revealed a desire to carry out similar projects in the future. Keywords Teamwork; group process; Zanzibar; development aid; domestic violence. Wege zur selbsthilfe: eine untersuchung häuslicher Gewalt in sansibar mittels teamshaping Zusammenfassung Dieser Artikel analysiert eine Gruppenarbeit mit Studierenden zweier Universitäten in Sansibar. Die weiblichen und männlichen Teilnehmer waren zu einem Teamshaping-Seminar eingeladen, um die Bildung einer effizienten Arbeitsgruppe unter Einhaltung von Prinzipien der Autonomie und Selbsthilfe kennen zu lernen. Zu Beginn des Seminars zeigte sich auf Grund fehlender Erfahrungen mit Teamarbeit ein eher geringes Verständnis für selbstorganisiertes Arbeiten, doch schon bald wurde sein prinzip- ieller Wert erkannt. Im weiteren Verlauf wählten die Studierenden häusliche Gewalt zu ihrem Thema. An vier aufeinanderfolgenden Tagen diskutierten und erforschten sie die möglichen Ursachen von Gewalt aus Erziehung, Armut und Familie. Die Ergebnisse wur- den in einem 15-Seiten Bericht zusammengefasst. Die Mehrzahl der Studierenden war entschlossen, in Zukunft mehr auf selbstorgan- isierte Teamarbeit zu setzen. schlüsselwörter Teamarbeit; Gruppenprozess; Sansibar; Ent- wicklungshilfe; häusliche Gewalt.